Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-23
HVnOcrlfaS. All.

We do not believe that there is a sin
gle Republican politician in the United
States belonging to the bloody-shirt bri- |
gade who would not gladly see the ne
groes deprived of the right to vote if |
thereby the South could be made to lose |
fhirty-six congressman, and as a conse-
duence of that loss the Republicans were
70 gain the control Of both houses Of
Congress, the Supreme Court, and the
presidency. The right Of suffrage was
conferred upon the negroes as method
of psrpetuating the power Of the Repub-
lican party. 1t would never have been
done at all by that party if it could have
been foreseen that the southern States
were thereby to be sohdified in the inte-
res. of the Democratic party. The
amendments were forced into the Con-
stitution. They were not ratified as the
trainers of the Constitution intended
articles OF amendment to be ratified, but
were ratified under duress. In word,
not spark of patriotism animated the
breasts Of the concocters OF the scheme
for RepubIicanizing the South by
making voters of her negroes.
And YET the standard-bearer OF the
bloody-shirt brigade is expected to wave
his ragged flag in the next No. OF
The Forum. MURAT HALsTEAD is going
10 publish an article in it attempting to
prove that the Democratic party IN the
South has nulhfed the war amendments
TO the Constitution, and expressing the
fear that should the country go Demo
cratic next year said amendments may
be rendered invalid.
We would wager "our dukedom
'gainst beggarly denier that there are
twice as many persons in the North as in
the South, and twice as many in the Re-
publican party as in the Democratic, who
would vote tomorrow to deprive the ne
gro of the right 10 vote. Why? Be
cause it is only for the reason that all the
persons in this country are now included
in the basis of representation that the
southern States have 50 much power in
Congress, and are able with the aid of
New York and Indiana TO elect Demo
cratic President The fourteenth amend
ment did not give the negro the right to
vote, but it provided that ii he was de-
= MED the right TO vote by any State the
y representation Of that State in Congress
should be reduced proportionately-that
is. in the proportion which the disfran-
chised negroes bore to the whole voting
population. If the Republicans had
stopped there they would have con-
trolled the Government for many
years but their greed of power
and their jealousy of the South were
such that they devised the fifteenth
amendment as better than the fourteenth.
The former might fail Of its purpose but
the latter could not fail for the negroes
were themselves ON the ground 10 vote
the Republican ticket, and, constituting,
as they did, q majority in a number of
the southern States, would bye their
sufffages insure long lease Of power
TO the Republican party.
The scheme has proved dismal fail
ure. The malignants are in strait. |
New York has declared il to be her pur-
pose TO vote the Democratic ticket next |
year, and there Is no future for the Re-
publican party. What shall be done
One more sectional campaign is TO be
conducted by the SectionaliSts. and